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Saturday, January 14, 2012

UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS

This all-new anthology is coming out on February 7, but I got an ARC (advance reader's copy) in the mail today from the publisher. This is one of the books I've been most anticipating. I grew up reading the John Carter of Mars books, and I have even read A Princess of Mars to my youngest son, who has had the most patience of all my children with listening to Dad read. He enjoyed the book and were both looking forward to John Carterthe movie in theaters soon.

I couldn't help myself. The book is absolutely beautiful and well laid out. I sat down and devoured the first three stories, trudging once more through the sands of Mars with a sword in my fist. Joe Lansdale's "The Mechanical Men of Mars" is a real throwback to the halcyon days and reads like Edgar Rice Burroughs himself could have written it. David Barr Kirtley (whom I've never before heard of) has written a truly elegant and emotional story full of wonder and honor in "Three Deaths." And Peter S. Beagle has penned a story that pays homage to Tarzan of the Apes as well as John Carter and plays with American and English history at the same time.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories. John Joseph Adams has gotten a wonderful group together to do this book, and I can only hope there will be another. Surely one will not be enough.